The Gray Realm
by MetalisLife
Summary: Desperate to turn the tide of a war they cannot win, the Sailor Senshi venture into a new dimension in search of the mysterious Senshi of Death.
1. Prologue

No copyright infringement intended.

Author's ramblings:

Normally when I feel the urge to write something, I just get it down on paper and never feel the need to release it or show it to anyone. Whenever a strange idea pops into my head, like "wouldn't it be cool if…" it bounces around in there until I get it down on paper. But honestly, you'd have to be on a whole cocktail of strange drugs to come up with the idea for this fic. Its setting is based on the world of one of the greatest heavy metal albums ever, Opeth's Blackwater Park (hence the title).

I haven't sat down and watched Sailor Moon for about twelve years. And yet, the more I listen to this album a story idea started to grow. What if the Sailor Senshi had to enter this mysterious world? What would happen? I have no idea where it came from, but the urge to put this thing online is just too much to resist.

This is basically an alternate story of how Sailor Saturn came to join the Senshi. She was the only Outer Senshi I was really intrigued by. Her dark personality seemed to fit the idea for this fic. To find her, the Senshi must enter this dark, heavy metal realm and search for her. So here it is—a finance major's attempt at merging two worlds: Sailor Moon and Opeth. I hope you enjoy this dark journey as much as I enjoyed writing it. See you at the end of the fic!

MetaIisLife

_PROLOGUE_

"What exactly are you suggesting, Rei?" Makoto asked suspiciously.

"I don't know, Makoto. What _am_ I suggesting?" an aggravated Rei Hino glared with hands on her hips. They were standing in one of Hikawa Jinja's Temple's many rooms.

Makoto's eyes narrowed dangerously; she was several inches taller than the miko and took advantage of it, taking a step closer.

"Don't think you're the only one who's angry that Sailor Mercury is gone," the thunder Senshi said quietly. "We're the Sailor Senshi. We're too smart to play the blame game."

The Senshi of fire stared at the tall brunette. "There were _six _of us fighting the youma, Makoto. How couldn't any one of us have gotten to her in time? Why couldn't someone have—"

"Don't." Makoto interrupted. "Ami fell in battle defending those she loved from purest evil. We don't need her memory tarnished by you running the guilt trip on all of us."

"It just feels so screwed up," Rei said tiredly. "We were all supposed to live together in a kingdom on the moon in the future, remember? Now that's in jeopardy, and all because we all had our backs turned. It's frustrating."

"If the future's in jeopardy, how come everything hasn't gone to shit?" Makoto asked. "How come your fire readings have been silent?"

Rei was silent. She had no idea. The Sailor Senshi were terribly shorthanded without the kind, gentle, blue-haired Senshi of Water. Anytime they needed a quick analysis of some situation, or help with their homework during their real lives, or anything else, they always felt a strong sense of deprivation that their usual go-to genius was no longer with them. The Moon Kingdom couldn't have a team made up entirely of people like Minako, Rei, or even Usagi. The whole had been greater than the sum of its parts; like a machine with one of its parts suddenly removed, it malfunctioned terribly. It was truly a deep sense of loss and a dark time for the Senshi.

The enemy youma, seemingly encouraged by the indication that the Senshi were in fact mortal, had been stepping up their attacks upon innocent civilians; although they had fought back and destroyed many, there was a deep sense of uncertainty about the point of it all. Only their Moon Princess' unbridled optimism and confidence had kept the team going. It was as if Usagi had bucked the entire group upon her back and was attempting to carry them all towards their destiny herself.

But where were they supposed to go from here? It was impossible to say. The constant fighting was taking a toll on the girls, and not one of them was unaffected.

Mars grimaced. "I'm worried about Matt."

"Since when have we had to worry about him?" Makoto asked.

"I don't know; maybe since it was his girlfriend was the one that got killed during that battle, Captain Obvious," Mars snapped. "If our advisor has a problem, we have a problem."

"The guy is only human," Makoto scolded. "Feeling sad about seeing your girlfriend get run through is pretty normal, don't you think?"

"Advisor" was probably the best way the Senshi could describe Matt Sneider's role with them. He had no special powers; he wasn't in the original vision of the Moon Kingdom; he only had a handful of guns that he knew how to shoot very well. With a tendency to be flippant and something of a hothead when he came in, Matt had slowly blossomed into a more loving individual after being accepted into the team.

His slow embrace of the Senshi's struggle for love and justice reached a high point when he and Ami's love began to deepen. Even though his appearance had seemed unusual and unexpected, Matt soon came to care just as much about their ultimate mission as the others. Even though he had nothing to personally gain from it, he fought alongside them anyway. His and Ami's courtship had been a real gem. The Senshi had always relied unapologetically on the power of love and friendship to help them through their battles.

Even though love was without question their greatest strength, it was also their greatest weakness.

Without that gem, Matt Sneider's path, unclear to begin with, was now even more so. It seemed that just as he was on the cusp of finding his place in the grand scheme of things, it had been cruelly ripped from him. The other Senshi could relate.

"Guys? You'd better come and see this." The two senshi turned to look at the solemn individual who had just spoken.

Matt Sneider was American, with a blond head, brown eyes, and an aggressive streak that he tended to take out on his work. His normally quick, sarcastic banter had been replaced by moody cynicism, and the other Senshi honestly couldn't blame him. Nevertheless, his tired speech gave a display of urgency.

"You'd better come and see this."

Rei and Makoto followed him to the inner court of Hikawa Jinja temple to join the surviving members of the senshi, Tuxedo Kamen, and Luna and Artemis. What they saw made them freeze.

Standing in the middle of the courtyard was a massive field of black energy, about three times as tall as Makoto and ten times as wide. Purple lightning crackled around it in a display of constant motion; it was as if it was inviting them to take a step in. The innermost traces of the field were deepest black, the color of deep space, and it spiraled slowly in an almost hypnotic dance—like a piece of midnight hurled into their midst.

"It looks like that optical illusion at the amusement park," Usagi Tsukino observed. "Except…a lot more creepy."

"You said it, meatball head," replied Mamoru, staring with morbid fascination at the storm.

"How the hell did this get here?" Rei demanded, striding up to the group.

"How should we know? It wasn't here one moment; it was here the next," Minako Aino told her.

"What is it?" asked Makoto.

"I think it's some kind of portal," said Luna. "I wonder where it leads? Hopefully not to the Negaverse."

The silence begged for one of them to wonder aloud that if Sailor Mercury was still alive, she would probably have an answer with her computer in about five minutes. But alas, the silence remained.

"No," said Rei finally. "They have no such power. This is a holy place, and the youma have never been able to penetrate it. The portal must lead somewhere else."

"Wherever it leads, it'll probably be dangerous either way," Mamoru said.

"Well, we aren't going to gain anything by just gawking at it all night," Minako announced. "What are we going to do about it? Do nothing? That would be unwise."

"Wait to see if something comes through it?" asked Artemis.

"Not an option," Minako countered.

"We go through it."

The group turned its focus onto Usagi, who had just spoken in a tone that meant no disagreement.

"Are you crazy? How do you know this?" asked Mamoru.

"I just know," she said softly after a pause. The future Moon Princess stared into the void, her face dark.

"But we don't know what's in there!" Makoto protested. "And what if it's a trap? Who's going to get us out?"

"Unless the vision is true…" Artemis muttered, causing everyone to turn and look at him in confusion. "Uh…Luna, maybe you'd better tell them."

"We were told by…various authorities that there may be another Sailor Senshi," Luna said importantly. Amid gasps and looks of excitement, the feline continued, "She is mysterious; she wasn't reborn on this earth like the rest of you. She was reborn…elsewhere. In case the future is threatened, destiny will do anything it can to make itself happen the way it is meant to be. It creates new entities that must decide for themselves whether to help the future Moon Kingdom, effectively leaving it up to humans' free will. Nothing is written in stone, unfortunately, but sometimes things come along to give us a little push. I believe this new Senshi is one way that we can still turn the tables in this war."

"That's all we know?" Rei asked incredulously. "Who is she? What's her planet? What are her powers? And if she's supposed to help us, why should we have to go through a portal full of dark energy to get to her?"

"None of you expected much from me when I got my orders to help you. You gave me a chance." The silent Matt had spoken for the first time. He glanced around at his friends. "I don't know exactly what's on the other end of that portal either. But if it leads us to the new Senshi, I'm willing to take that risk." Usagi looked back at him and smiled.

"Right," the Moon Princess said with a curt nod. "Matt, you and Makoto are coming with me. The rest of you are staying here to hold back any more youma in case they attack while we're gone. I will not risk having us all stuck in another dimension while leaving Tokyo undefended." The natural leader shone through in her commanding blue eyes. "I don't want anyone coming after us. We will not return until we have that new Senshi with us. I'll do whatever it takes to protect humanity, and if it means walking through a creepy portal, so be it."

Two transformation sequences took place, enveloping Usagi and Makoto in pink and green light. They emerged as their powerful alter egos. Matt grabbed his long black trenchcoat and checked his guns, carefully strapping his favorite shotgun across his back.

"Hold down the fort, you three," said Sailor Moon. "We'll be back soon." Pausing to blow Tuxedo Kamen a kiss, she turned and followed Matt and Sailor Jupiter into the unknown.


	2. Chapter 1: The Leper Affinity

_CHAPTER ONE – THE LEPER AFFINITY_

"What is this place?" Sailor Moon wondered out loud. Going through the portal had been incredibly smooth; no falling through space or feelings of nausea. It felt as if they had literally just stepped through a door into the next room. Except it wasn't a room.

They were standing in the middle of a gray forest. Scraggly, bare trees clawed up towards the sky and the air around them in chaotic tangles. Logs, debris, and dead leaves blanketed the floor. Tendrils of fog snaked around their feet and billowed up around their knees. Farther away, an eerie mist obscured most of the rest of the forest. Some trees still had leaves, but they appeared so dark green that they might as well have been black.

The sky was a pale gray, and even though the sun appeared nonexistent, there was still a watery, dim light that made it possible to see for a few dozen feet. Deep silence filled the place; shadows of shadows danced in the distance. A chill permeated the air.

"Pretty depressing, unless you're a big fan of charcoal," Sailor Jupiter quipped. Matt stared around in silence. The two girls shivered lightly in the fog.

"Cheery place, isn't it?" the Senshi advisor agreed. A few more moments passed in silence. They hadn't been expecting a sunny beach, but this place gave the Negaverse a run for its money.

"Well, let's pick a direction and start walking," Sailor Jupiter suggested. Her voice was slightly muffled by the choking fog.

"Which way?" asked Sailor Moon.

As if on cue, a piercing shriek echoed through the woods. "That way," Matt snapped, as he took off and his companions followed him. As they ran, the fog seemed to reach out and touch them, trying to slow them down or pull them back. Matt shuddered as he thought that it felt like ghostly fingers running along his skin.

The shrieks continued, growing louder the more they ran. Matt, who was in the lead, saw movement up ahead. "I think I see someone!" he called out behind him. "Be ready! They might need our help!" They ran and ran until they reached a clearing with a sickening sight.

The clearing was overrun with long, dead grass. A few random tombstones and coffins, worn and weathered, stood around. Right in the middle was a large marble coffin that may have been beautifully white when it was new. Now it was gray and covered with plant matter. It was partially open, revealing a gray, decomposing body underneath.

Surrounding the coffin were five or six gray humanoid beings with leathery skin. They hunched over nearly double, pulling the body out. Their eyes had a demonic, pale yellow glow; saliva poured from their black mouths. They greedily clawed at the corpse; what they wanted to do with it, the trio had no idea. But when Sailor Moon cried out in disgust, they stopped and glanced toward the newcomers menacingly.

The six beings straightened up and looked at them, as if trying to decide whether the Senshi were real. A few seconds later, however, they began a slow advance towards them, undoubtedly to punish them for interrupting their moment.

As they got closer, Jupiter wrinkled her nose when she started to see more details. They were youma, all right: youma with tattered gray robes, a twitching gait, and leathery hands covered with massive, putrid, black sores. "Lepers," she whispered in terror.

At the sound of the word, suddenly the youma tripled their pace, springing into a spastic run as they began to attack. "What are these things?" Sailor Moon cried.

"It doesn't matter; they'll be dead soon," Matt snarled. He pulled out his .357 magnum and opened fire, dropping one of the monsters at point blank range. The massive kick from the weapon reverberated through his body, and he drew a bead on another one, hitting it in the throat. It clutched at the resulting spurt of black blood and collapsed to the ground.

A second later, Sailor Jupiter let loose with a massive lightning bolt, charring another two beasts into piles of singed flesh. The Moon Princess finally threw her tiara, the glowing weapon severing one monster in two at the waist and hitting the other one in the brain before returning to her head.

The whole action had taken less than a minute.

Silence returned. "What _were_ those things?" Jupiter wondered. "I've never seen anything like it." She was interrupted as their blonde leader doubled over and vomited, unable to handle the revolting scene of gore before them. Usagi rested a gloved hand on a nearby tree, embarrassed. Jupiter turned around and rubbed her back soothingly. After a few deep breaths, Sailor Moon rose to her feet again.

"Jesus Christ," Matt whispered, unable to take his eyes off the pile of dead monsters. Then, a little louder, "Shit!"

"What were they _doing _to that coffin?" Sailor Moon asked weakly. Then, before either of her companions could answer, she said, "Never mind, I'm not sure I want to know…" Another question came to mind. "Why are there youma here?"

"Does it matter?" asked Jupiter. "If there are some already here, there are bound to be more. I'm beginning to wonder if it was a mistake leaving the others behind. We'll be overmatched if they attack en masse." The three of them looked at each other glumly. It appeared they were in an embarrassing situation with no idea what to do.

"You know what I think," Matt said. "I think we're in over our heads."

"Guys, what's that?" their leader pointed to the other side of the clearing.

A hooded figure stood there; of course they were unable to see the face from a distance. None of them could tell if it was human or not. It eyed them silently, watching them uncannily. "Who are you?" Matt called out across the grass. "Are you human?" he added.

The figure continued to stand silent guard. It stared for several more minutes before turning away and striding into the forest.

"We need to follow it," the Senshi advisor stated.

"What makes you so sure?" Jupiter asked.

"It's the best lead we've got right now. Plus, it didn't attack us, so that's a good sign."

Sailor Moon steadied herself. "Right. Let's go. And keep an eye out for youma."


	3. Chapter 2: Bleak

_CHAPTER TWO – BLEAK_

With Matt taking point, the trio advanced deeper into the morbid forest in pursuit of the hooded figure. They stepped over great protruding roots and piles of dead leaves. Puddles of dark water appeared here and there, splashing up from time to time as a boot crossed into them with a muttered curse.

The chilling fog seemed to lure them deeper into the night, the warmth and color from their bodies an anomaly in the bleak landscape. Instinctively, they followed a little closer to one another, shooting glances from side to side and behind to look for threats. It was the most morbid hike any of them had ever been on.

The hooded figure didn't appear to be moving too quickly; it seemed to float above the layer of fog on the ground. The Senshi were able to keep it within sight as long as they moved at a trot, but suddenly the object of their pursuit seemed to meld into the dark horizon, fading from view.

The three companions stopped, catching their breath. "Where did it go?" Sailor Moon wheezed, her breath steaming in the chilly air.

A large, dark movement whirred to their right. The group tightened with their backs toward one another in a defensive circle. A slide of metal upon leather confirmed Matt drawing his machine pistol, while a light crackle was Jupiter preparing to unleash a thunderbolt at the slightest provocation. "What do you think it is, Usagi?" Jupiter whispered.

They both felt the Moon Princess shiver against their backs. "Whatever it is, it probably isn't interested in showing us the way out."

A menacing growl heralded the arrival of the source of the shadow. It didn't look too friendly.

The youma looked like a twisted Medusa, with scaly green skin and a group of fearsome tentacles instead of hands at the end of each arm. Ruby-red lips revealed a set of shiny fangs, and its eyes shone with that same pale yellow glow as the other monsters. Hard, green, armorlike flesh covered its head, tapering to a crown of sorts that framed its otherworldly face.

"Welcome, Sailor Senshi," it hissed with a voice like sandpaper. "I've been expecting you."

Sailor Moon was not impressed as she glared at the beast. "I'm Sailor Moon, the champion of justice!" she declared forcefully, the way she had so many hundreds of times before. "In the name of the Moon, I will punish you!"

"Save it, Moon whore." The tentacles came alive. Without warning, the monster lashed into the middle of the circle, using its tentacles like a giant drill. Scattering, the trio was showered with a geyser of black dirt from the impact.

Matt struck first, letting loose with a few quick bursts of machine pistol fire. Little dots of green blood on the monsters torso showed he was scoring hits, but the youma seemed to shrug off the bullets. One of its tentacles lashed the weapon from his hand, while another slammed him in the stomach, flinging him against a nearby tree.

The wind knocked out of him, Matt barely had time to roll to his left as another giant tentacle buried itself in the tree with its tip at top speed, sending a shower of dead bark flying everywhere.

Sailor Moon leapt above a tentacle on the ground that was attempting to trip her up before preparing to use her tiara. As she dropped into her combat stance however, another one of the youma's ever-moving tentacles smacked the glowing tiara before she could launch it. It spun harmlessly to the ground on the other side of the area.

Jupiter concentrated her hands, charging up for a lightning attack. Palms out, she shoved the bolt towards the youma. Reacting quickly, the monster opened on tentacle hand into a giant shield of sorts, absorbing the attack harmlessly until only sparks remained. The Senshi of Thunder swore before realizing something. Something about that defensive maneuver seemed familiar somehow…

"Wait a second," she challenged. "Didn't I kill you already?" Her observation earned her a solid blow in the chest, heaving her into a recovering Matt. They both tumbled to the ground in a heap.

"Time to get serious," Matt grunted as he unstrapped his SPAS-12 shotgun from behind his back just in time to blast an attacking tentacle out of the way with a burst of green blood. Matt pumped the gun and scored another hit on a tentacle that aimed itself for his head. The reports from the blast echoed off the nearby trees. They were holding back the youma's attacks, but there wasn't much they could do from a distance.

"Die, American!" the beast roared, coming at him and a still prostrate Jupiter with four tentacles at once. There was no time to dive out of the way or shoot them all…Matt braced himself for impact.

"MOON TIARA MAGIC!" In a flash of light, the group of tentacles was cut in half by the Moon Princess' weapon. They flailed in agony, bursts of green blood pouring onto the ground.

"Matt, we've fought this thing before!" Sailor Jupiter cried out as the youma turned its attention to the blonde leader. "We have?" he asked as he irritably jacked another shell into the chamber.

"Don't you remember? You have to get in closer and aim for the head!" she told him. "Cover me; I'm going in while it's distracted." The thunder senshi took off.

Sailor Moon, meanwhile, ducked and dodged as the youma turned its full fury of tentacle strikes upon her, narrowly missing more by luck than by any real skill. Finally, a limb smashed the Moon Princess behind the knees, dropping her to the floor and leaving her vulnerable.

"JUPITER THUNDER CRASH!" The beast grunted in pain as Makoto's attack covered its head with deadly electricity, stunning it. "Usagi, aim for its head! Do it, now!" she called out.

Struggling to her feet, Sailor Moon flung her tiara one final time; the monster's eyes widened in terror as first its head, then its body, crumbled into dust in a blinding flash of light. Like a boomerang, the faithful tiara returned to its owner.

Makoto pumped her fist. "Decapitation!" she cried in triumph. "That's the way you do it!"

"Woo-hoo!" Usagi said in excitement. "That was almost too easy."

"It WAS easy," said Jupiter. "It's that same monster we fought in Shinjuku only a couple of weeks ago. I remember it! We killed it just the same way then, too!"

The Moon Princess blinked. "Are you serious?" she asked. "Come to think of it, those gray things back in the clearing…before you two joined the Scouts, Rei, Ami, and I were fighting Jadeite. Those looked a lot like his lackeys." She scowled. "Cannon fodder he would send out against us to buy time for him to attack. Heartless."

"Were they exactly the same?" Matt asked.

"Unless we've all had a giant case of déjà vu, I think so," she told him.

"So if we killed this thing already, then what the hell is it doing here?" Matt asked.

"I have no idea," Jupiter admitted, rubbing the back of her head. "Do you think we're in some kind of alternate dimension or something? I mean, nothing has made any sense since we stepped through that portal. It's enough to make my head spin. And this place is spooky as hell."

"I don't know either," said Usagi. She paused. "But I think I know what to do. We're going to find that hood that we were chasing before. I'm sure of it; she must be the Senshi we're looking for. We've got to find her, and she's going to tell us what's going on and how we get out. We're _going _to find a way out of here. Let's march!"

With that, the Moon Princess led the way in the direction they had been going when the hooded figure had disappeared.


	4. Chapter 3: Harvest

_CHAPTER THREE – HARVEST_

"Is that a gate?" Sailor Moon peered ahead through the fog at the twisted iron latticework that lay in front of them. Matt drew a pistol. "Let's go through it."

The rusty old gate creaked noisily as she pushed it. Dead leaves bunched against it when it opened and they stepped inside.

The team found itself inside what appeared to be some kind of orchard. The dense, wild undergrowth of the forest was replaced by carefully pruned trees standing in straight rows. The area had been swept clean, leaving only black soil underneath. For all the attention, the plants seemed just as bleak and dying as the rest of the woods.

"Who'd have thought the youma could be this orderly?" Usagi remarked as they took a few steps. It made her think of a vineyard. She half-expected to see a castle in the distance with a wine press.

A light, pale figure stood at the end of one of the rows. "You know, I've never really believed in ghosts," Makoto remarked as they walked towards it. "And yet, unless I'm mistaken…here is one standing before us," she breathed as she realized who the figure was.

Floating above the fog, transparent but still very recognizable, was Sailor Mercury.

Her blue outfit was barely distinguishable from the forest's omnipresent fog. Her pale skin seemed to glow as her transparent form looked upon them with tired sadness. Those once-lively blue eyes now seemed a picture of loneliness. Ami's form seemed to flicker slightly, as though embers were burning under her skin.

Sailor Moon brightened and rushed to greet the ghost. "Ami-chan!" she cried happily.

Ami gently raised her hand to her chest level to stop the Moon Princess before she could attempt a hug. "You mustn't try to touch me, Sailor Moon," she said gently. "I don't know what will happen if you do."

Jupiter was visibly in awe; she had relived Sailor Mercury's death enough times since it had happened…but seeing her again in real life was something she was unprepared for.

Matt, however, kept his distance, his handgun held at a 45-degree angle to the ground. "I don't believe you," he said flatly. "Prove it to me." Jupiter shot him an angry look while the blonde continued to stare lovingly at her departed senshi.

Wordlessly, Ami floated over to the spot where he was standing. Her kind, gentle voice spoke low enough that the other two wouldn't hear. "The first time we made love, it was in your apartment after you were promoted," she said lovingly. Matt slowly lowered his gun.

"You left the blinds open so the light from the full moon could shine in," Ami's shade continued. "You told me it was a reminder of our destiny. You said its light made my skin glow and it made me look like an angel." She smiled warmly as his eyes widened at the memory. "And when it was over, you said you would never leave me," she finished.

Matt's gun fell to the ground with a thump. "Blue," he whispered. Then he composed himself, picked up his gun and said so the others could hear, "I'm convinced."

"Ami, I can't believe it's you," said Usagi. "It's been so lonely without you. Where are we? And what is this place?"

"It's a place for those who are neither truly dead nor truly alive," Sailor Mercury's shade told them, the voice still sweet and flutelike. "It is a plane of reality between our world and the Negaverse. It has no name save what its ruler calls it: Blackwater Park."

"Neither dead nor alive? But, Mercury—I mean—" the blonde choked on the next few words, "—we watched you die."

"You watched my physical form die," the ghost explained. "Sailor Mercury's body may be dead, but her spirit is immortal. That's why I am here. I am waiting. Waiting for the time when I can be reborn once again as a different girl in a different time. There is no point in seeking the living among the dead."

"So that's why our Kingdom still lives on," Sailor Moon realized out loud. "Even if you're killed, destiny will find a way to make sure you can reappear some other way."

The blue-haired genius nodded. "There is no other way."

"We miss you," Makoto blurted out. "So much. It's just…even though we know now you're not really dead…we miss you."

"I know," the Senshi of Water said sadly. "But fear not. In the future things will improve. But exactly when is something even I do not know." A pause followed, an intimate silence in which everyone seemed to forget about their bleak surroundings. Finally Matt asked, "Blue, the reason we came here is to look for another Sailor Senshi. Is she here?"

Ami's brow furrowed, an indication that she wanted more information about the question but didn't have it. "I wish I knew more about her," she admitted. "I don't know her name, her planet, or what her attacks are. I've never even seen her face; she wears a gray hood. All I know for sure is that she controls Blackwater Park. She has power over death and rebirth."

"Whoa…that sounds kinda morbid," Jupiter observed. Mercury nodded. "She could very well be the most powerful Senshi there is," she told them.

"Better not let Rei hear you say that," Usagi muttered. "She'd freak."

"So what's her deal?" Matt asked impatiently. "Why doesn't she come to earth?"

"This is just a theory, but…I think someone or something else is manipulating her," Mercury said. "I think she lured you all here for some purpose."

"Death can't be manipulated; it comes for you when it comes for you," Matt snapped. "How is this possible? Who could be powerful enough to brainwash her if she has control over death itself?"

"Something very very strong…and very very evil," Sailor Moon pointed out the obvious.

"So this _was _a trap!" Makoto cried. "She's a puppet for the Negaverse. The new Senshi just lured us here to kill us, or at least distract us from the war back home. The others could be under attack right now! This is just _perfect_."

"Makoto, is that really true?" Sailor Moon asked. "Think about it. That hooded figure we're following has never attacked, or shown it wants to hurt us. I refuse to believe that she is beyond saving. Think about it; how many times have we been brainwashed and found a way out of it? Even you, Ami. I remember."

"Come to think of it, you have a point, Princess," Matt observed. "I mean, we've only had to deal with the standard youma around here…which we've seen before, I might add." Mercury gave a little cough. "Uhm…there may be more to that," she said meekly. "Those youma…well, they aren't really dead, either."

"What? How? We smashed them all into moon dust at some point or another!" cried Sailor Moon, clearly uncomfortable with the idea.

"Have you ever really seen where that pile of moon dust goes?" asked Ami's ghostly form. "It's something that was always in the back of my mind, but now I see it. When we destroy a youma, it doesn't disappear forever; it goes here."

"Why?"

"They're reformed and used for energy to create more youma," she said simply. "Blackwater Park is like a net, trapping all the monsters from being finished for good. When we 'destroy' them, we just kick them out of our plane. But instead of going…wherever they go, they get trapped here instead, and with the Negaverse manipulating this plane's ruler, they are able to make up for their losses. That's how the Negaverse is able to keep up its attacks on earth even though you have been defeating them! Every time we defeat them in battle, we aren't really beating the Negaverse back; we're just keeping them in neutral…a stalemate. Using Blackwater Park, the Negaverse has been recapturing the energy from dead youma, and throwing it right back at us."

There was another silence as Mercury's companions struggled to digest this.

"Right! So that's how all those monsters are showing up again even though we've killed them already," Sailor Moon realized.

"Hedging themselves against risk…making sure they always at least break even every time," Matt muttered.

Ami nodded. "Exactly."

Makoto's face darkened. "Do you guys realize what this means?" Her friends turned to her with worried looks.

"We're in a world that is a prison for the dead," the senshi of thunder said shakily, trembling in fear. "And all the inmates were put here…by us." There was a stunned silence as they all realized the gravity of the situation.

"There is a way to stop the Negaverse's plan for Blackwater Park," Sailor Mercury's ghost told the group. "The only way is to destroy this plane forever so that it can't be used to create more monsters."

"Destroy it? How? This place is huge!" Sailor Jupiter protested. "Who could possibly…" she trailed off as she realized what the genius was getting at.

Ami looked at her with those pale blue eyes. "You must find the new Sailor Senshi, whatever it takes," she said. "The ability to control means she has the ability to destroy. You must break her brainwash and convince her to destroy Blackwater Park, so she might return with you to help fight the war."

"That's all, huh?" Matt cracked.

Mercury floated to one of the exquisitely pruned orchard trees and gently raised her hand to touch it. "I don't even know how long I've been here," she said distantly. "This place is not for the faint of heart. But there is no one else I would rather trust than you, my dearest friends. Until Blackwater Park is destroyed, I will not be able to be reborn. You must not fail."

"We won't, Ami-chan. We promise," Sailor Moon declared.

"There is another gate at the far end of this row," the Senshi of Water said. "Use it."

"Can't you come with us?" Makoto asked. "I mean…"

"This orchard is the only place I may stay," she replied, "until I fight alongside you anew in the Moon Kingdom." A tear glistened in Sailor Moon's eye. "And that day will come," she whispered. She and Sailor Jupiter looked at Ami a little while longer before walking towards the gate at the other end of the orchard. Matt brought up the rear. As he turned to shut the gate, he took one last glance at the woman he loved.

"I…I just wish I could touch you," he said. Slowly, he started to raise an outstretched hand to her face, but stopped halfway. Ami remained motionless. Matt finally touched the silvery outline of her cheek, and felt…absolutely nothing but air. He sighed and lowered his head. "It doesn't matter," the genius told him with a warm smile. "You will always be in my heart."

"And you will be in mine," he said tenderly. "Goodbye, Blue." With that, he turned one final time away from the wilted scene and walked down the rough, leaf-strewn path, where Usagi and Makoto were waiting.


	5. Chapter 4: The Drapery Falls

_CHAPTER FOUR – THE DRAPERY FALLS_

Sailor Moon, Sailor Jupiter, and Matt Sneider advanced along a rough path through the dying, foggy woods, their footfalls muffled by the thick layers of leaves underfoot. The silence pressed in around them, although in their minds they replayed the conversation that had just taken place with the departed Senshi.

"So, as soon as we find that hooded thing again, we're running after it and not losing track," Sailor Moon said with determination. "Then we'll—AAAHHHHH!"

The Moon Princess' orders were cut off by her shrieking yell of fear. "What is it?" Makoto yelled, as she could see no movement around them. Then Usagi tripped and collapsed, and they saw what had her frightened. A black, scaly hand had burst up from the ground and wrapped itself firmly around her red boot.

"Get it off!" the Moon Princess yelled, kicking wildly in vain, as her foot was firmly trapped. She twisted and pulled. "Hold still!" Matt snapped, drawing his handgun. "Whoa!" he was interrupted as another two hands grabbed his ankle, flinging him roughly on the ground and causing his gun to fly several feet away.

"Makoto, watch out!"

She barely had time to react; Jupiter angrily kicked away one hand as it tried to grab her, so hard in fact that its wrist snapped backwards. Makoto danced around, frantically trying to avoid the other hands.

Sailor Moon reached for her Moon Spiral Heart Rod, slashing away at the undead hand's vicelike grip. "Get—off—me!" she snarled, punctuating each word with a hard blow to the hand, finally succeeding in slicing off one of its fingers and breaking its grip. Usagi rolled over and prepared to jump up, but not before several more pairs of hands rose from the ground and grabbed both her legs and elbows. "Ah!" she yelled again. She tried to roll over, but the hands held tight, their fingernails breaking and oozing black blood from the struggle.

Meanwhile, Matt reached for another gun inside his coat. He aimed down to his leg, preparing to blast away the hand, but much to his surprise, it sank away and out of sight. The gunner paused only for a second, but it was enough time for several more hands to grab his back and shoulders, forcing his arms to the ground and making it impossible to fire. Frantically, he tried to heave himself up, but felt a leprous hand snatch the back of his collar, pulling him the ground before beginning to tighten its grip around his throat.

The hands were pulling Sailor Moon prone to the ground, rubbing her face in the dirt. She grunted and struggled to no avail. "Jupiter!" she yelled through a mouthful of dead leaves. "Help! Do something!"

A hand had gotten hold of one of Makoto's green boots, before Sailor Jupiter began calling up her lightning power. The brass antenna rose from her emerald tiara and crackled viciously. The Senshi of thunder raised her fists, managing to keep her balance. "THUNDER CRASH!" she roared, plunging her fist into the ground directly below her.

A massive wave of energy radiated out from the point of impact, sending piles of leaves and severed hands flying everywhere. The hands seized up, the intense energy making it impossible for them to maintain grip. Matt gasped for air and finally kicked himself to his feet, snatching up his guns and opening fire on whichever hands were still moving. By the time the echoes of his firing had faded, the path was a graveyard of singed and mangled hands sitting in pools of black ooze.

Sailor Moon coughed and wiped her mouth, spitting away the disgusting forest floor. "Like shooting fish in a barrel," Matt said with satisfaction. "Nice one, Jupiter," he commended. Before the tall brunette could say "You're welcome," her eyes widened as she focused on something in the distance.

"I don't want to turn around, do I?" asked Sailor Moon warily, who was facing her.

"No, you don't. Because there's a giant horde of leper youma coming at us over the horizon," she said curtly. Her two companions whirled around, and sure enough, barely distinguishable from the gray, foggy horizon line, there were dozens of gray-skinned monsters charging toward them. Even from this distance, the Senshi could hear their growls, snorts, and grunts in a menacing sound that slowly grew louder. It was clear there were too many of them to defeat without a sustained battle that they couldn't afford right now.

"Let's move! Come on, meatball head!" Sailor Jupiter roared, and they all took off down the path at top speed. The foggy air blew at their faces; the trees reached out to grab them. The sound of their panting breath shattered the silence. It was only a passing thought to each of them what would happen if more undead hands reached up from the path. Thankfully, their luck held in that regard.

_Out of the frying pan and into the fire, _Matt thought as they ran.

Makoto twisted her head around and saw that the youma were getting closer. Dozens of bobbing yellow eyes glared hungrily at their prey. "Dammit! Guys, we've got to find cover! We're exposed out on this path!" she called.

"Head right!" cried Usagi, and they branched off the path into the dense trees, hoping to lose the enemy in their cover. Legs pumped hard. Quick jumps were made as logs and other debris appeared in their way. They moved in a zigzag pattern, hoping to give the appearance to the enemy that they were scattering. They ducked and slid under low-hanging branches that threatened to clothesline them. Makoto pushed off a large tree root with one leg, vaulting over a thick tangle of roots and continuing on. It was hard to tell from the sound of their rushed breathing, but the sounds of the enemy's approach seemed to be fading.

Until Sailor Moon tripped.

It wasn't a hand this time, but a log that was hidden by a pile of harmless-looking leaves that caught the Moon Princess' red imperial boot and caused to her sail forward several feet from the force of her run. As she struggled to regain her balance, Usagi suddenly found she was on a very steep slope and unable to stay upright. She collapsed onto her stomach and found herself half-sliding, half-rolling down the incline, struggling to claw onto anything that would slow her down. Her tired body slammed into rocks and tiny trees until she finally hit bottom, her face to the ground, breathing heavily.

After a few seconds, an arm reached out and grabbed her around the waist, while a white-gloved hand clamped around her mouth to keep her from screaming. Sailor Jupiter was pulling her behind a massive log at the bottom of the hill. Her green eyes were narrowed in intense concentration; her brunette locks stuck to her forehead with sweat. Matt was beside her, breathing slowly. His lungs screamed for air after the long run, and it was all he could do to breathe slowly through his nose so that the noise wouldn't give away their hiding place.

Three sets of lungs breathed raggedly. "Don't make a sound," Makoto breathed, gently releasing the Moon Princess' mouth. They crouched behind their cover. Matt thought he could see the tops of youma heads above the crest of the hill above them. Painfully slowly, they turned away, having given up the chase.

The three exhausted warriors finally exhaled and relaxed as the adrenaline died down, their limbs aching from the rush. A few autumn leaves spiraled down around their position. The Senshi outfits were stained with black dirt and grime, and their bodies sported several large bruises and cuts from their respective tumbles. But they were certainly alive and still breathing.

Sailor Moon finally peeked out over their cover. "I think they're gone," she wheezed, sinking back against the log of the huge tree.

Matt slightly turned his head. "Do you guys hear…music?" he asked quietly.

Echoing ever so slightly through the forest was a light, eerie, haunting melody, so faint that it seemed it could be blown away by a light wind. It didn't sound like any instrument any of them had heard before; like some kind of cross between guitar and piano. Where it was coming from they couldn't tell, but with all of the fog it seemed as if the melody was all around them.

"What is it?" Makoto wondered. Matt continued scanning the area around them, squinting his eyes, straining to hear the distant sound. Suddenly his eyes popped open. "Hey, wait!" he yelled out, and he sprinted off away from the hill.

"Where's he—" Sailor Moon didn't need to finish her question; she already had her answer.

Floating about a hundred feet away, and rapidly retreating with the gray cloak billowing behind her, was the Senshi of Death.

Makoto helped her Princess to her feet. "Come on," she said. "Now it's our turn to do some chasing."


	6. Chapter 5: Dirge For November

_CHAPTER FIVE – DIRGE FOR NOVEMBER_

"Wait!" Matt called out to the Senshi of Death's retreating form. "We came here to rescue you!" For all the good his yelling did, he might as well have just not said anything. Did she even want to be rescued?

In other chases with their foes, a favorite strategy of Matt's was to target the legs with a well-aimed shot to give them time to catch up to the monster. But he didn't even want to think about what would happen if he attacked the Senshi of Death. So he and his two friends charged onward, intent on closing the distance.

Usagi seemed to read his mind. "No! Don't attack her! She's on our side!" Matt idly wondered if that was even possible. Could the Senshi of Death even be hurt by conventional attacks? What would they do when they finally caught her? Sit down for a cup of tea and negotiate a contract to sign with the squad?

Matt, who was in the lead, poured on a burst of speed. Trees and rocks flew by in a blur. Adrenaline pumped through his body. There was something about chasing an enemy that seemed to heighten all his senses to full throttle. It was the primal thrill of the hunt, the chase, that still remained within humans even after thousands of years. Matt was focused intently on the fleeing Senshi, urging himself on to greater speeds.

The shadowy figure suddenly hooked a hard right. Matt skidded on his heels to wheel around and continue advancing; out of the corner of his eye he could see Sailor Moon windmilling to keep from falling down a nearby slope. Hurriedly doubling back, he grabbed her forearm, steadying her. "Not again, Princess," he joked. "Come on." He whirled back around to start running again after Makoto, who had blown past them after their brief pause.

They continued to chase the unidentified Senshi down a smooth, gentle incline of some sort. The fog seemed to grow thicker and moister. Finally, they could hear, and then see, rushing river water—gray as the surrounding forest, and just as cold. Makoto felt freezing droplets of water hit her face as they approached a wooden bridge over the river.

It wasn't too wide, only about twenty-five feet across. There was no time to worry about how stable the bridge was; it looked solid enough, so Makoto raced across it after their prey, her green boots pounding the wood underfoot. She reached the middle of the bridge just as their quarry was stepping onto the opposite shore and her friends were about to jump on.

As was wont to happen with the Senshi, however, a monster came in between them and their objective.

The scaly water demon thrust its spiked back through the middle of wooden bridge, crushing most of it into splinters while Sailor Jupiter was still on it. She flew backwards, thrown off the bridge by the youma's mighty weight. The monster was huge; at least thirty feet tall, it grabbed Makoto around the middle with one of its dripping hands, pinning her arms to her sides.

"No! Makoto!" the Moon Princess cried from the opposite shore, while Matt glared at the beast for interrupting their pursuit. As they watched, the monster opened its gaping maw and let out a stentorian roar so powerful that Makoto's brunette ponytail flew backwards and she had to shut her eyes in agony.

"Will you SHUT UP? JUPITER THUNDER CRASH!" she roared back angrily. Although her arms were immobilized, her tiara's antenna went up, crackling away. A large thunderbolt came crashing down, hitting the youma's scaly hand and spread to cover its body with deadly electricity. The beast grunted in pain, but gritted its teeth and squeezed ever tighter on the Senshi of Thunder. Its large, watery, black eyes narrowed in concentration as it willed itself to outlast Makoto's attack. The Senshi of Thunder's face screwed up even tighter as she fought to charge the beast enough to make it loosen its grip.

But the youma was squeezing her sides, and as much as tried to fight it, her focus was fading as the crushing pain threatening to collapse her chest. Finally, she couldn't maintain her strength enough to keep up the attack, and she let out a pained yell as the monster roared again, her electricity scattering and fading.

"That's it!" Sailor Moon yelled. "This guy needs an attitude adjustment! MOON TIARA—" But before she could complete her attack, the Moon Princess was brutally swiped aside by the monsters massive left claw, slamming her against a nearby tree and knocking her unconscious.

The beast turned its attention to an aggravated Matt, who did a quick gun check to see his options. _Two handguns. No. Two machine pistols. No. Shotgun. Not good for long range. .357 magnum it is. Now, how do I get close enough, and where is the weak point?_

His quick mental analysis came to an end as the gun fighter narrowly dodged the monsters pounding fist, squelching noisily as it slammed into the riverbed mud. It roared again, the sound echoing off the trees as it held a limp Sailor Jupiter in its other clawed hand. He rolled quickly and jumped to his feet, staining his coat with mud in the process.

Matt drew a bead on the youmas face and squeezed off a shot, the familiar recoil shifting his arms. The monster twinged as the large-caliber ammo impacted its neck. It shook its head and took another big cut at Matt, who flung himself to his stomach, feeling the wind from the intended hit flick his coat.

While Matt recovered, Jupiter managed to get one of her arms free. As the beast opened its frightening mouth to maim her, the Senshi of Thunder did the first action that came to her mind: she drew back her fist and bopped it on the nose. More surprised than hurt, the youma shook its head and growled.

Matt aimed down the sight of his Magnum. Missing was not an option. But what did he have to hit?

"Hold still, dammit," he growled as he zeroed in once again on the monsters face. Matt forced his hands to relax and exhaled slowly before taking the shot. The water youma's eye disappeared; in its place was a stream of black blood pouring down its right cheek. It tilted its head back and let out a beastly cry of agony, before flinging Sailor Jupiter to the other side of the riverbank and clutching the wound with its newly freed hand.

Makoto slowly heaved herself to her feet, breathing heavily. "Suck on this," she choked out, drawing back her hands for another thunder attack. The bolt struck the monster square in the chest, staggering it back a step. As it did so, Matt calmly shot out its other eye. As it roared in agony once more, he emptied the rest of the gun into its mouth.

Finally, the youma decided it had had enough and gave up the ghost. Its head spun around lazily until it collapsed into the black river with a titanic splash, its glistening body lying above the current. "Well, looks like we've got our replacement bridge," he said lightly, going over to Usagi, who was just regaining consciousness.

"What are you taking a nap for?" he asked. "We built you a new bridge."

Usagi's blue eyes widened at the sight of the dead monster; then turned her gaze on him. "I was dreaming about…doughnuts," she said sheepishly. "The ones with cinnamon and cream filling…"

"Hey! The new Senshi is way over there!" Sailor Jupiter called out to them. "Hurry up!" Her two comrades balanced carefully on the dead youma's rounded form and soon made it to the other side. "Makoto, take point," Usagi ordered. "We don't let one stupid monster slow us down, do we?"

"There she is! She's headed over that ridge!" pointed Sailor Jupiter, and they set off again. She ignored the grime and water that stained her uniform. It was already pretty messed up, so who cared?

They caught sight of the gray cloak just disappearing over a small rise right in front of them. When the trio reached the top of the ridge, they stared down into the valley below.

Except there really wasn't much to stare at. Cragged black cliffs ringed the outer edge of the valley, striking up into the pale gray sky. Threatening storm clouds billowed above the horizon. Below them was a layer of mist that had only a few treetops of the tallest trees poking through. It was so thick that it was impossible to see anything else from where they were standing. A stiff breeze blew at them from this height, stinging their eyes and tearing at hair. It seemed to blow through them. The valley below them seemed to have an even greater sense of foreboding.

"Guys, whatever happens down there, stay close," Sailor Moon told her comrades. "I've got a bad feeling about this valley…I mean, not that I don't have bad feelings about this whole place, but still."

"You got it," said Matt. "If there's still a world when we're done here, I'll buy you a giant bag of those cream-filled doughnuts; I don't give a crap what Luna says." Usagi chuckled. Makoto gave him a look. "Which you can eat some too, if you like," he tacked on with a smirk.

"Fine," said Sailor Jupiter, tossing her head. As they started to walk down, she whispered, "Though I walk the valley of death, I fear no evil…" She wondered if whoever had written that had actually seen the valley of death. If not, the Senshi of Thunder felt she could see it right in front of her, knowing that the mistress of death was in there somewhere. Not for the first time, she wondered: What had they gotten themselves into?


	7. Chapter 6: The Funeral Portrait

_CHAPTER SIX – THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT_

Into the silent forest the Sailor Senshi advanced. Their nerves ran taut, ready to launch an attack at even the slightest sign of enemy movement. Sailor Moon thought about the rest of their members they had left behind back on earth, wondering if the youma had recognized that they were reduced in number and tried to launch another major assault. If they had, it meant they had to work even faster to bring back the Senshi of Death and even up the score.

It was even darker down here in the valley than it had been elsewhere. She wasn't sure how she could tell, but this place was truly evil—as if she could feel it seeping out of every crevice, every crack in the tree bark. Not for the first time, she wished she had had a better plan in mind before committing to this adventure. But her idea of leadership was that one should never do anything half-assed. Even if you weren't entirely sure about what was going to happen (this happened to her more often than she cared to admit), you needed to exude that confidence that everything would turn out all right.

She needed to be strong for her friends and teammates. Although they teased her for being a klutz and a bit of a ditz, they looked up to her. They had died for her in the past, and she for them. And Sailor Moon couldn't afford to have them doubt her, because she needed them too.

So she strode confidently in front of Matt and Makoto, determined to complete their mission. She was so focused that she almost didn't notice the pair of ruby eyes through the fog glaring at her directly ahead. Usagi didn't even have time to tell her comrades to look out before _something _jumped out at her. All she could see were those blood-red eyes, growing bigger so suddenly until they were practically in front of her face. "AAAAHHHH!" the Moon Princess yelled in agony as the evil spirit passed through her brain and everything went black.

#######################################################################

"No!" Sailor Jupiter lunged forward and caught her princess before she could hit the ground.

"Shit!" Matt yelled, drawing both his pistols and furiously looking for the ghost. "What the hell was that?" He looked all around their immediate vicinity, and finding it temporarily devoid of ghosts and youma, turned his attention to the unconscious Usagi.

"Oh, no," Jupiter whispered, stroking blonde hair away from the girl's face in her lap. Usagi still breathed; her eyelids were closed but fluttered away underneath, indicating R.E.M. sleep.

"Usagi, wake up…" Makoto said, looking worried. She gently tapped her princess' face, shook her. The blonde's eyebrows furrowed in her slumber; she suddenly looked very afraid.

"What's happening to her?" Matt asked.

"Whatever it is, only she can see it. And it's probably nothing good."

########################################################################

She wasn't Sailor Moon anymore. Her fuku was gone; in its place was the ordinary schoolgirl uniform of Usagi Tsukino. She felt greatly weakened without her super-powered alter ego, and there was an unnerving sense of dread in the air.

"Is this a dream?" she wondered out loud. Glancing around, the blonde saw she was in a plain room with old wooden floorboards, no doors, and a single window looking out into the fog. Definitely a dream of some kind, she decided.

Usagi carefully picked herself up. She stepped cautiously over to the window and peered outside. Nothing but white, impenetrable fog. A blank mass of nothingness.

Suddenly, Ami was in front of her, on the other side of the window. Usagi's heart leapt at the sight of her friend, staring sadly at her through the windowpane. Her breath came out in puffs of crystallized vapor, settling on the glass and fogging it ever so slightly.

She raised a bare hand to touch the cool glass. It shimmered under her fingertips. Ami's ghost on the other side raised her hand to do the same. At the moment the blue-haired girl's hand touched the glass, everything flew apart. It was no longer Ami, but the spirit that had attacked her when she was awake.

Its indeterminate, smoky form with its blazing red eyes slammed through the window, sending glass shards scattering in a deadly, beautiful rainfall around them. It crushed Usagi's back against the wooden floor, its menacing eyes the only color apart from the gray drabness all around them. They flashed powerfully, captivating the Moon Princess' attention. Then, incredibly, it spoke—in a voice that seemed almost several different voices at once, clashing chaotically with one another to create a sound like the end of the world. Usagi had never been so terrified. She could do nothing but stare, petrified, and listen.

"You _humans," _the spirit spat out bitterly. "When will you realize that death is not your domain? When will you realize that you cannot control death; it controls you! You are not supposed to be here, Moon Princess." It spat out her imperial title derisively, turning it into a curse.

"You realize how many have tried to manipulate Death itself to do their bidding?" it hissed demonically. "How many have tried to resist it? I have seen the Senshi of Death. She is invincible. She has sliced through steel walls with her Silence Glaive. Monsters have fired energy at her with the strength of an atomic blast and hit nothing but smoke. Everyone and everything that has stood in her way has died. What makes you think you can?"

Doubt attacked Usagi's heart like tendrils of ice. She felt despair wash over her in a wave. But somehow, somewhere, she found the strength to whisper, "Because I have the light on my side."

"Light? What is light? There is no light in Blackwater Park." the monster paused, still hovering above her menacingly. It spoke its next words so intensively that it chilled Usagi's bones. The voice gradually built, until it quivered terrifyingly, as if the ghost had a human heart that was beating so hard that it was interfering with its speech.

"You must leave Blackwater Park, Moon Princess. You and your friends have no idea what evil you are dealing with. You are going to leave this place. Your journey ends here. You are going to leave this place, or you are going to die."

A petrified Usagi was extremely tempted to beg the ghost to let them leave. Her friends had sacrificed themselves for her on so many occasions, and each time it had brought her so much grief to know that they were willing to do so. But what suffering would the world go through if they failed to turn the tide of the war?

She sucked in a deep breath of the glassy, dreamlike air and said, "I'm willing to take that risk. Blackwater Park has never known the power of true love, or friendship. This is why there is no light here. I've seen with my own eyes what this love can do. It is not defeated by death; love is stronger than death! You say no one has conquered death—the Sailor Senshi have! And I will use that power. I will use that power to destroy this place…and everything in it that is darkness.

"And that means you…you black-hearted scum."

The ruby eyes narrowed in a state of pure anger. "You fool! Your heart will be your own undoing. One day soon, it will catch up with you. It is your greatest weakness. I cannot allow you to go further. Die, Senshi!"

The red eyes dove into her chest and disappeared. Usagi screamed in terror and pain. She writhed around on the floor, feeling something frozen close around her heart. She shut her eyes and felt something stir to life inside of her…

########################################################################

"Jesus Christ!" Matt yelled as a massive shaft of blinding light emanated from Sailor Moon's chest and rocketed up into the sky. It must have been visible throughout the entire realm, cutting through the grayness in a spectacular display of purity. Matt and Sailor Jupiter were knocked onto the ground, and they stared up at the heavenly column with its source at their leader's heart. It was so white it made the grayness around them seem black by comparison. Tiny particles of light flashed around the column, sticking close to the main source. Its light reflected in Makoto's emerald green eyes, shone down on Matt's black trenchcoat and reflected off his guns, shone tenderly over Sailor Moon's gently sleeping face. Faces glowed. Their shadows cowered behind them in quivering spreads.

From within Sailor Moon's chest the massive gray ghost that had attacked her fled, screaming in otherworldly agony, unable to comprehend the force that had somehow managed to defeat it. "You fools! You will all DIEEEEEEEEEE!" Its final defiant statement crescendoed into an impossibly high-pitched yell as the youma's ghostly form dissolved in the impossibly bright light. Its work accomplished, its leader purged of the darkness that had attempted to destroy the Moon Princess, the light column slowly narrowed until it vanished altogether, leaving the world around them as gray as it had been before.

Blinking away the brightness that had temporarily blinded them, Matt and Sailor Jupiter half-crawled, half dragged themselves to their prone princess, whose eyes had opened. They were amazed at what they saw; Usagi's eyes were still blue, but they were a brighter, clearer blue, as if they shone with a new purpose. "I know what we have to do," she said in a voice of perfect calm.

"What is it, Sailor Moon?" asked Makoto, her green eyes shining.

"We must continue on; our journey is nearing an end. When we get there, you must let me face Hotaru alone."

"What? Who's Hotaru?" Matt sputtered, confused.

"It's her name…the Senshi of Death's name," his leader said serenely. "It's how we can change her heart."

"Change her heart…" Matt repeated. "Assuming she even has one."

"I won't ask how you know this…but if you know this is what must happen…we'll do it," Sailor Jupiter vowed. "We believe in you, Usagi. We always have." She glanced up at the sky, looking for something. "Did you feel that?" The Senshi of Thunder raised a white-gloved hand to her cheek to touch something that had landed upon it so lightly.

Snow.

Light, beautiful, angelic snow was falling in Blackwater Park. Sailor Moon's eyes took in the sight with childlike wonder as a few snowflakes landed on her face and melted away until they resembled tears. "It's time to go," the Moon Princess said with calm authority. "We must not fear death; it is time for death to fear us."

Her words touched their hearts as the snow continued to fall, and they went away into the night, following the light music that they knew would lead to them to Hotaru and…what else?


	8. Chapter 7: Patterns In the Ivy

_CHAPTER SEVEN – PATTERNS IN THE IVY_

They came to a break in the trees at last. The dense, dead forest appeared to be thinning out, yet the omnipresent shade was undiminished. The dull sunlight filtered through the gray clouds. The snow continued to glide down through the air, adding to the mystique and silence of the place. Their breath came out in steamy puffs. Standing directly in front of them was a tall, white column, stretching up into the gray sky almost out of sight. Strings of dark green ivy entwined their way up the column, clinging onto it and turning its profile into something resembling a roll of barbed wire.

"I feel like this is marking the spot to something," Sailor Jupiter observed, staring at it. "Usagi, do you think we're going the right way?"

"The music is growing a little louder, I think," her leader said. "I can feel her presence. It's as if everything that was alive is standing back, but we're walking forward."

Makoto peered ahead of them. It was like staring at a solid pale wall; there was no line on the horizon. "Let's press on," she said, turning back to glance at Matt.

He was standing only a step away from the white column, leaning a hand on it. "You know, I was just thinking," he said softly, "that this place really could be kinda beautiful." Sailor Jupiter raised an eyebrow at the gunner.

"Matt, this really isn't the time to get introspective," the Senshi of thunder urged. "We've got a job to do."

"Have you ever just stopped and stared at it all?" he continued as if he hadn't heard her. "How many people even imagine that a place like this exists?" The snow continued falling, starting to blanket the dark earth and sprinkling his trench coat. If they weren't in such a hurry, Makoto probably would have talked about how much she enjoyed snow; it always seemed to make even the dreariest landscape more homely. Reminded her of that ski trip the Senshi had all taken when Ami was still alive. Or she could have commented on how the ivy vines twisted and curved prettily in subtle, intricate patterns against white marble.

Matt glanced back toward the way they had come. "I wonder…how it's possible to stay here."

"Don't even think about it," Sailor Jupiter snapped, striding forward. When she saw Matt's gaze of longing as he looked back, Makoto knew the reason why—more accurately, who. Her gaze softened as she placed a hand on Matt's shoulder.

"Ami wouldn't want you to stay here with her," said the tall brunette. "This is no place for us. It's nothing but misery."

Matt remained silent for a few seconds, his head lowered. "I miss being with her, Makoto," he said simply.

Jupiter smiled compassionately. "I know you do," she said. "We all do. But think about it…how much fun could two ghosts have in the land of the dead? I mean, it isn't exactly Disneyworld."

A half-smile jumped up one side of Matt's face. "It's just…when I couldn't touch her before…it kinda made me wonder what it would be like if…" he sighed, not finishing the thought. "Never mind."

Makoto raised her other hand and gripped Matt's opposite shoulder. "Sailor Mercury won't stay here; she isn't meant for this place, and neither are we. That's why we have to do this mission—to free her and give her a chance. And one day, you'll see her again, and you _will _be able to touch her, for real."

Matt raised his face to his comrade's. "I know what it's like to want to be with someone forever, Matt," the green eyes shone as Makoto spoke. "I believe that it's possible; I really do—if not in this life, then in the next. But now is not that time."

"Ready?" Sailor Moon called out to them from several dozen feet away. "We've got a job to do. Hotaru has stopped moving; I can see her. She's waiting for us."


	9. Chapter 8: Blackwater Park

_CHAPTER EIGHT – BLACKWATER PARK_

Sailor Moon walked toward the still gray figure, not moving too quickly, not moving too slowly. Her red boots padded silently on the dead grass. Only a few stranded trees stood around her now, and soon she was standing on rough gray stone rather than grass. It was as if she and the Senshi of Death had stepped into a black void, and they were the only two around. She remembered her orders to Makoto and Matt to stay behind in case anything else happened.

Mist swirled ominously around her feet. The gray figure remained silent beneath its shadowy hood. In one hand it held a long, black, poleax with an elegantly curved blade. The Senshi of Death gripped it regally, letting the handle rest against the ground as she waited for her adversary. _The Silence Glaive, _Usagi realized with wonder. About five feet away from the object of their mission, Usagi halted.

For a moment nothing seemed to happen.

"Hello, Sailor Moon," the figure said in a breathy, low voice that nevertheless was still very clear. "Why are you in my kingdom?"

Usagi sucked in a deep breath, staring at the face she knew lurked in the shadow under the hood. "I'm here to bring you back home," she said. "A war rages on Earth, and destiny has called you to join us."

"My destiny is here," the breathy voice said simply. Before Usagi could interject, the Senshi of Death continued, "I don't think you realize how close you have come to death here, Sailor Moon. You are the only one who has survived to see me this close. This world is all I have ever known. I created it."

"I'm not sure exactly how it happened, Sailor Moon," the shadowy voice said.

"What?"

"The ghost that attacked you—I sent it. Never has it failed, until now. It was supposed to enter your body and destroy you. And then something happened—it's supposed to be impossible, but somehow it became possible. _You _destroyed _it, _Sailor Moon."

"So doesn't that tell you something?" she replied.

"Do not mock me, Sailor Moon," the voice said dangerously. "Your false display of bravado may be enough to convince your cowardly friends of your leadership. But you cannot fool me. I see fear quivering behind those pathetic blue eyes. It waits like a seeping mist, filling you…freezing you."

Still, Usagi held firm and fixed her eyes on the Senshi of Death.

"I could kill you where you stand, Sailor Moon. I could destroy you ten times over. Do you know what will happen when I drop this weapon?" Usagi blinked. She heard a noise from beneath the hood that sounded like a derisive sniff.

"Perhaps I should show you what you're dealing with." With its free hand, the Senshi of Death slowly lowered her gray hood onto her back. Usagi's eyes widened.

########################################################################

"Can you see what's going on?" Sailor Jupiter asked Matt as they watched their leader talking to the Senshi of Death. As they looked, however, something made them both turn around painfully slowly.

Shapes and shadows twisting in the distance. Hundreds of pairs of glowing yellow eyes and gray heads bobbing steadily. Menacing, hungry growls from slobbering mouths. The dull, rapid-fire pounding of demonic feet.

A titanic wave of gray monsters.

########################################################################

Usagi stared. She had been expecting something truly menacing, worse even than when they had fought Queen Beryl or any other youma that had kept her awake with night terrors. In her mind, the Senshi of Death would have been a once-pure form that had been terribly corrupted beyond comprehension. Something terrifying; there was nothing more frightening to her than seeing something that had once been good turn evil.

She hadn't been expecting such a beautiful face.

_This is the one who has control over death? _She thought. Death was supposed to be mighty and overpowering, not a petite girl barely as old as she was. Its appearance completely threw Sailor Moon for a loop.

Death was flawless pale skin, flickering purple eyes, and short hair like deepest midnight. When the voice spoke again, the eyes flared, and Usagi could have sworn she could see just the slightest hint of red in their core. She became aware that she was holding her breath painfully; Usagi resumed breathing and became conscious of the sounds of the approaching youma army.

"Do you hear that sound, Sailor Moon?" the Senshi of Death said calmly. "That is the sound of death coming for your friends. You should consider yourself lucky…to receive such treatment personally."

Quick as lightning, Hotaru swung the Silence Glaive sideways directly at Sailor Moon's head. The Moon Princess dropped to the ground and rolled left to avoid another downward stab.

Hotaru pulled the glaive out of the black dirt and slashed at Usagi, who had gotten to her feet. She dodged from side to side.

A cruel smirk etched itself on one corner of Hotaru's mouth as she gripped the silence glaive handle with both hands. Slowly, with an expression of sickening amusement, she began to roll the weapon as if she was rowing a canoe. Gradually, the weapon picked up speed and the Senshi of Death was spinning and hacking at Usagi with lightning speed. The Moon Princess dodged and dodged again, drunkenly swaying every which way to avoid the deadly blade.

Finally, Usagi made a mistake. The Glaive cut down across her upper arm, tearing a cut across the surface of her white uniform there. Red blood began to seep through. "Ah!" she cried out.

Hotaru took advantage of Usagi's vulnerability. She slammed the pole end of her Silence Glaive into the Moon Princess' side brutally, doubling her over before delivering a solid kick to the chest. The leader of the Senshi went sprawling in the black dirt.

The Senshi of Death advanced again, aiming for another stab. Usagi brought both of her legs to bear and kicked the attack harmlessly to the side, regaining her feet just in time for Hotaru to use the blocked Glaive as a pole-vault to launch a flying kick into her torso. The Moon Princess flew several feet once again, struggling to catch her breath as she landed heavily.

"Fight back, you coward!" Hotaru snarled, twirling her weapon menacingly. "I expected more from you."

"I will not fight you," she wheezed out, her head bowed, one arm shakily holding herself up. Sailor Moon raised her blue eyes defiantly. "I refuse to fight against one of my own Senshi. Before this fight is over, you will surrender before I will." Hotaru's eyes narrowed.

"Then you will die in this place, Sailor Moon. No one can resist my power. Not even you."

########################################################################

"Sailor Jupiter, I want you to know something before we do this," Matt said as he loaded his shotgun.

"What?" the tall brunette asked as she steeled herself.

"If we don't make it out of here, I want you to know that it's been an honor to fight alongside you."

"Likewise." They embraced briefly before turning toward the youma horde, which has made the horizon disappear with their multitude. They were both greatly troubled.

"Let's take out as many as we can from this range," said the Senshi of Thunder. "Then…we go in and fight the old way."

Matt raised a pair of pistols. Strafing from left to right, he opened fire.

########################################################################

"Fight back! FIGHT BACK!" Hotaru yelled, attacking Sailor Moon with increasing agility and anger. Several more cuts and bruises had materialized all over Usagi's body, and still she kept her maneuvers to blocking and weak counterattacks, never directly challenging the Senshi of Death. "No," the Moon Princess whispered.

Hotaru promptly delivered a devastating kick to the Moon Princess's head, knocking her brutally to the floor.

"You weakling," Hotaru rasped. "Why do you persist?"

Sailor Moon breathed deeply, wincing at the beating she was receiving at her tormentor's hands. "Because you are not meant to be here," she said. "And neither are we. Please—show us the way out of here. Your place is on earth, alongside your fellow Senshi. Please…Hotaru."

Those striking violet eyes widened at the sound of the name for the first time. "Tell me how you know that," she said dangerously. "No one knows that name but me! Prove it to me!"

There was a brief silence that soon became shattered by the sound of Matt's gunshots and Jupiter's thunder attacks in the distance. They could hear the noises of combat, the cries of yells of her friends and the undead.

"Do you hear that, Hotaru? That's your proof. That's the sound of life fighting back against death," Usagi said. The Senshi of Death stared at her in silence.

"There's another world beyond Blackwater Park, Hotaru," said the Moon Princess soothingly, gradually rising to her feet. "A world that was created in light and is now under siege by darkness." She cautiously took a step closer to the pale girl.

"We're trying to fight it, the Senshi and I, so that the light can return. There is light inside everyone, Hotaru—even you. All you have to do is choose to embrace it. If you do, we can show you what it can do. If you don't, our world—and the ones after it—will become like this place."

A touch of something foreign seemed to glow in the violet eyes. Hotaru's grip on the Silence Glaive tightened. The world seemed to hinge in the balance; Usagi waited with baited breath.

"You LIAR!" the Senshi roared, and began to spin her body forward, angling the Silence Glaive high above her head to bring it smashing down onto the blonde.

########################################################################

"Gah! Chew on this, dipshit!" Matt yelled, bashing a youma in the face with his shotgun, brutally crushing its skull. "Makoto, how you doin'?" he called to his comrade.

"I'm—FINE!" the tall brunette punctuated her reply with a strong, high kick to down another youma. The Senshi of Thunder grabbed another nearby monster around the neck, flinging herself over its back to bring down another gray-robed leper with a well-aimed kick. Muscles tensing like ropes with the strain, Makoto flung her makeshift youma platform to the ground and punched it very hard in the face.

One of its friends attempted to charge Sailor Jupiter from behind before meeting an untimely end from Matt's perfectly placed pistol shot.

Just as this happened, a blast of light like a supernova overcame the battlefield, flinging Senshi and youma alike to the ground. Everything was white as Matt and Sailor Jupiter clung to each other on the ground, wondering what had happened to their leader.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the light faded, bringing the battlefield back into focus. Neither of them could believe their eyes.

All around them were the bodies of hundreds of youma, completely taken by surprise. Some still staggered around, blinded and incapacitated by the mysterious light that had once again saved the Senshi lives. Many more, however, lay completely still on the ground, coiled beneath the trees, never knowing what hit them.

Sailor Jupiter stared around the dead forest that was now a graveyard for the massive youma horde. "That might be the most amazing thing I've ever seen Usagi pull off," she said dazedly.

"Amen to that," Matt replied. He felt dizzy and weak-kneed, as if his muscles had turned to Jell-O.

"Come on," Jupiter grunted, struggling to pull herself up. "We've got to see what happened over there."

########################################################################

The light faded slowly, gradually; if you were able to watch the light as it retreated slowly, the last thing it would uncover would be the two girls nearby.

Sailor Moon lay on her back, while Hotaru had one foot planted firmly on the ground, driving her Silence Glaive toward the blonde's throat. The Senshi of Death crouched over the Moon Princess, her robed hands in the full throes of a forward thrust directly toward Sailor Moon's neck.

But the deadly blade had stopped centimeters from her skin, as Usagi's hands gripped the Glaive's handle just below the blade, preventing it from coming any closer. Her arms quaked with the tension of holding the weapon back, while Hotaru's eyes narrowed into evil slits as she tried to finish off her prey.

Nevertheless, the result was a washout, the Silence Glaive quivering slightly as neither seemed to have the strength to break the other's will.

Usagi spoke at last.

"Hotaru…this is what our power can do," Sailor Moon said intensely. "This is life fighting back against death." She gritted her teeth while the pale face remained unchanged.

"You asked me why I persist, Hotaru. It's because of love. That is our strength; without it, we are nothing. Even if you control a giant world like Blackwater Park and don't have love, you will never be as powerful as we can be. I've seen it, Hotaru. I've seen love bring back my friends from the dead when they've sacrificed themselves to protect me. I've seen it conquer…it never fails. And it will not fail me now."

The purple Senshi was unconvinced. She angrily steeled her muscles, making another push to end Usagi's life. Sailor Moon reached within herself, summoning her last vestiges of strength to hold back the blade and speak once again. "I pity you, Hotaru. You have never known love, or friendship, or camaraderie. Let the Senshi show it to you."

The violet eyes broke contact with Usagi's blue ones. They darted around, as if unsure what to make of the situation. The mask was breaking.

"Hotaru, you can end all this," Sailor Moon whispered. "End all of this death and destruction. Just by dropping that weapon. I know you have it in you. Just let it go. Be a real warrior…my beautiful Senshi."

The fate of the world hung in the balance, as for a moment the only sound was their steaming breath and the falling snow.

Wordlessly, Hotaru stood up. "This world is all I have left. If what you say is true, so be it. What has been destroyed cannot be rebuilt. I am no longer the Senshi of Death. I am the Senshi of Death…and Rebirth."

The Silence Glaive fell seemingly in slow motion, hitting the dark earth of Blackwater Park with a thunderous crack.

########################################################################

Far away from their location across the gray wasteland, the ground started shaking. Gray youma of all kinds looked around, unsure of what was happening, but slowly gaining the realization that something was definitely going wrong with their realm.

A silvery, pale sun hung overhead, and as the earth began to rumble, it started to move towards the horizon so quickly that you could see its path from the ground. As the monsters stumbled around in bewildered soliloquies, the ground of the dead forest floor started to crack.

Massive fault lines erupted in the black earth, creating fearsome uplifts of ground. Dead leaves, brackish water, blackened trees, massive stones—all were mere playthings as Blackwater Park began to self-destruct. Cracks opened in the ground and sky, blinding white light shining out of them and into the foggy realm of death. They widened menacingly, swallowing trees and monsters roaring in their bereavement.

The river that the Senshi had crossed earlier lost its banks, dumping its blackened mass over the erupting land.

Youma and monsters of all kinds, great and small, tore their skin in agony as they witnessed the destruction of their world. The lucky ones fell forever into the giant cracks, careening towards the mysterious light. The earth twisted and upended itself every which way, crushing some of them under massive quantities of land.

In the iron-fenced orchard, the ghost of Sailor Mercury glanced around before fixing her eyes on the sinking silver sun. A tear emerged from one corner of her eye. "Usagi…" she whispered over the cacophony.

All this time the sun hurtled toward the horizon, watching the dying world below it consume itself.

#######################################################################

"There isn't time," Hotaru said as Matt and Makoto finally joined them. "We must get out of here. Follow me."

"Oh man," Matt observed as he watched the destruction wrought by Hotaru around them.

The four Senshi began to run, following the Senshi of Death's lead. "This way!"

"Whoa!" Makoto yelled, as the ground underneath her suddenly exploded, forcing a massive uplift of rock. Usagi hurriedly pulled her up. "We can't stop!" she yelled frantically.

They sprinted as quickly as they could, shafts of light appearing from the ground around them, cracks opening under their feet; they jumped and dodged in a wild, ecstatic flight. The frail figure in front of them leapt lightly over obstacles, gripping her Silence Glaive all the while.

Usagi glanced up at the sky. Was it growing darker? She saw the sun racing, literally racing across the sky over their heads, heading toward the opposite horizon. With a sinking feeling, she realized they had to be out of here before it disappeared forever.

"Stop!" Hotaru raised her Glaive above her head. Black lightning crackled around her pale, robed form; she pointed her Silence Glaive ahead of her and summoned a portal that looked exactly like the one that had brought them here.

"The power to control is the same as the power to destroy," she said with finality. "I must be the last one out. Go, now!"

Sailor Moon looked fondly at her new Senshi and leapt into the portal, her distinctive hair flicking out of sight. "You're next!" Hotaru yelled to Makoto, who followed suit.

Matt turned around, his back to the portal, staring off into the distance at the apocalyptic scene before him. His thoughts strayed briefly to Ami as he did. The sun sank ever lower on the horizon; it was almost completely dark now.

"See you soon, Blue," he whispered before turning and diving headfirst into the portal.

Hotaru still remained. The wind blew her short, deep-black hair around her pale face as she gripped her weapon. The dark purple energy from the portal glowed eerily on her face. Blackwater Park, the only world she had ever known, would never be seen again.

The sun barely had the slightest sliver over the horizon; the world was black.

"The sun sets forever on Blackwater Park," Hotaru whispered. Without a glance behind her, the Senshi of Death and Rebirth calmly stepped into the portal as everything went dark.


	10. Epilogue

_EPILOGUE_

"No!" Sailor Mars cried as Sailor Venus was struck down by a cunning youma blade. The blonde cried out in agony as she collapsed to the ground beside an equally wounded Tuxedo Kamen.

Mars stared around. The situation was not good. Dozens of monsters had attacked Hikawa Jinja Temple's gates, and although the three had fought valiantly, the enemy's numbers were too great. With the doors sealed behind them, there would be no retreat.

Rei grabbed an ofuda in each hand, ready to make her final stand outside the gates. "Bring it on, you scum!" she yelled defiantly. A lumbering, hairy beast began charging toward her, taking her up on the offer. It moved too quickly for her to react. The monster lowered its head, knocking the Senshi of Fire to the ground. Mars braced for the impact of sharp teeth.

Except all of a sudden, the youma didn't have a head. A geyser of black blood shot from its severed neck.

"What the…" Rei glanced up at the smallish figure that stood over her. One purple boot was planted firmly in front of Rei's prone body, the other behind. The girl wore a purple sailor fuku that looked so fresh and clean that it seemed to glow. Her short dark hair framed a grimacing face, and a long black poleax rested against the ground, its blade stained with enemy blood. The Senshi's eyes were closed, and as she slowly opened them, she raised her head to look at her new foes.

Sailor Mars stared at the new Senshi, who had revealed herself in all her glory. "Oh my God," she breathed.

The new Senshi glanced back at her, her hair whirling around hypnotically. "'Hotaru' will suffice," she said shortly.

The Senshi of Death and Rebirth had arrived, and in an instant she was upon the enemy youma with blinding speed. She twisted her body and her Silence Glaive at impossible angles, drawing youma blood with each swipe. Even when the monsters realized what she was up to and ganged up, Hotaru simply blocked every attack with a series of controlled, graceful, deadly movements, before flipping around to attack another set.

The other Senshi watched in amazement as she unleashed her cold brand of death. Gunshots and thunderbolts announced the arrival of Matt and Sailor Jupiter, although Hotaru didn't exactly need their help. The weapon was a blur; her face was a mind-numbing mask of barely concealed, professional rage. Her lips pursed tightly, her arms in perpetual motion. It was gloriously unsettling, a morbid display of flawlessly executed destruction.

The youma never stood a chance. Within minutes they were all finished.

Hotaru stood calmly, her Silence Glaive still in its last position when it had decapitated a lizard youma in one swipe. She didn't even seem to breathe. With one casual, cold movement, she flicked the blade out, removing the demon blood and spattering it on the already-soaked ground.

"Sailor Moon, who is this?" Venus asked, clutching her side and not believing her eyes.

The dark-haired girl looked at her, remaining silent. She gently lowered her Silence Glaive, letting the handle rest on the ground beside her.

"I am the messenger from the depths of death," Hotaru said calmly. "I am carrier of the protection of the planet of ruin. I am the soldier of destruction and rebirth."

As her new comrades looked on, a charming, beautiful smile spread across Hotaru's face.

"I am…Sailor Saturn," she finished grandly.

########################################################################

Author's ramblings:

Well, I hope you all enjoyed this strange journey—I definitely had fun writing it. Some of my favorite writing is dark, action-oriented, but also romantic in a way. Here's hoping I've succeeded at my first fanfic.

I didn't want to disclose right away that I had introduced a new character, but he has only a moderate part. Rest assured, this story was all about the original Senshi. The character of Matt was just a good way to introduce a little darkness into the world and give the Senshi something else to play off of as far as character development.

If you're inspired to listen to Blackwater Park now that you've read this, that's great. It's one of my personal favorites. However, it's not for everyone. The chapters were all named after the songs, and each one is a journey in and of itself (they average about 8-9 minutes). The songs are meant to enhance the overall experience of the story. All songs copyright 2001 by Mikael Akerfeldt.

As of now, I have another fic in progress called "In My Blackest Hour," which is a prequel to this story. It explains how the characters wound up in the situations described here in "The Gray Realm" and in all likelihood will be a good deal longer than this one. I look forward to writing more, and I hope you readers will return for this new adventure.

Until next time…MetalisLife


End file.
